Released 26/10/09. Acting as the perfect accompaniment, and partner in crime to John Robb’s brilliant book on a scene so smart-arse, it daren’t call itself scene, Death To Trad Rock. Here on one CD, picked by the bands themselves are 25 of the defining tracks of the era. An era when in the mid-Eighties, as Thatcher turned the screw and the charts overflowed with what felt to many like the most boring pop music ever made, the underground exploded. The post-post-punk scene was a diverse collection of bands brought together by independent releases and a never-ending series of gigs performed in off centre venues the length and breadth of the UK, aided by reportage in fanzines and radio play from John Peel.

Some of these acts went on to mainstream success, some were rounded up and herded awkwardly into the NME's C86 bracket whilst others faded away, only to become seminal influences in later years. In Death To Trad Rock we meet everybody involved and find out just how they all arrived at such an unlikely tangent in such a boring decade. On Death To Trad Rock -The Album we hear the beautiful noise they created.

Cravats - Terminus / The Membranes - Tatty Seaside Town / Three johns - A.W.O.L (live in Chicago) / The Ex - The Rise Of The Dutch Republic / Nightingales - Crafty Fag / Big Flame !Cuba! / A Witness - Loudhailer Song / The Wedding Present - My Favourite Dress / Age of Chances - Motorcity / June Brides - Sick Tired and Drunk / Wolfhounds - Magic triggers / AC Temple - Food of the Dogs / Pig Bros - Hedonist Hat / Dog Faced Hermans - Balloon Girl / Vee VV - Keep Beat / Shrug - Van with Square Wheel / Fflaps - Dilyn Dylan / Death By Milkfloat - Break Bone / Turncoats - Wishing Well / Prolapse - Psychotic Now / Dawson - Everyone's A Winner Baby / Ceramic Hobbs - St Petersburg series / Saradon - Very Flexible / Stretchheads - Afghanistan Bananastan

Pillows & Prayers (subtitled, Cherry Red 1982-1983) is a compilation album released Christmas 1982 featuring artists on the Cherry Red record label. The record was originally sold at 99 pence (in fact, "pay no more than 99p" was printed on the original sleeve), which helped ensure that the album peaked and remained at number 1 on the UK Indie charts for 19 weeks and sold over 120,000 copies.

Five Or Six - Portrait / The Monochrome Set - Eine Symphonie Des Grauens / Thomas Leer - All About You / Tracey Thorn - Plain Sailing / Ben Watt - Some Things Don't Matter / Kevin Coyne - Love In Your Heart / Piero Milesi - Modi 2 (Extract) / Joe Crow - Compulsion / Marine Girls - Lazy Ways / Felt - My Face Is On Fire / Eyeless In Gaza - No Noise / The Passage - Xoyo / Everything But The Girl - On My Mind / Atilla The Stockbroker - A Bang And A Wimpey / The Misunderstood - I Unseen / The Nightingales - Don't Blink / Quentin Crisp - Stop The Music For A Minute

Perfect Unpop is based on a dangerous assumption: that if you were ever touched by John Peel'senthusiasm for spiky 70s pop, then by now you’ve probably found yourself a copy of the Undertones Teenage Kicks . The same applies to raw, beautiful singles by the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, the Clash and the first five Fall albums none of which are included here.

Instead, here'sa collection of Peel favourites a little less likely to be anthologised, eulogised, or to crop up on your iPod. Anyone who ever cuddled up alone at night with Peel will recognise the glee with which he pounced on these devil may- care, slightly broken pop songs. Indie also-rans these bands may have been in the Sting n Bono scheme of things, but add up all these flashes of underdog genius, and here'sa CD to rival any other from the era of the questionable stringy tie.

Although we re missing the voice that always seemed to be speaking to us alone, the unearthing of these Nuggets from the play-lists will recreate something of the atmosphere of the Peel Show for his under-cover legions, and hopefully some young Johnny-cum-Latelies as well. Make no mistake; we’re talking all-time highlights here where six seconds of dead air would be followed by a sheepish, slightly breathless admission that Peel had been off bopping around the studio!

Tours Language School / Vibrators Whips And Furs / Subway Sect Ambition / Young Marble Giants Final Day / Kleenex Hedi’s Head / The Bears On Me / Wreckless Eric Whole Wide World / Swell Maps Real Shocks / The Out Who Is Innocent / Eater Thinking Of The Usa / Disco Zombies Mary Millington / Mo-Dettes White Mice / The Outcasts Self-Conscious Over You / The Wasps Teenage Treats / The 45s Couldn't Believe A Word / Fatal Microbes Violence Grows / Glaxo Babies This Is Your Life / The Prefects Going Through The Motions / Hollywood Brats Sick On You / Carpettes Radio Wunderbar / The Tights Bad Hearts / The Monochrome Set He’s Frank (Slight Return) / Au Pairs It's Obvious / Sinatras Happy Feeling / The Boys Brickfield Nights / Blue Orchids The Flood

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The music emulating from in and around Bristol in the southwest of England during the late 70’s and early 80’s remains today as some of the most innovative and important from that era. Many of the creators of these sounds went on to do great things internationally, though it’s the origins that this release is centred on.

Heartbeat Records, Bristols’ premiere independent label managed to capture most of this through a series of now highly acclaimed 7”singles – now much sought after by collectors, and with the showcase compilation album Avon Calling described by John Peel as “the one that sets the standard for any future compilation, not a bad track on it – truly superb” and playing 2-3 tracks every night for many weeks following its release. Now finally after twenty five years, that album and those singles are now available again on two CD’s with a booklet telling the story of how twenty bands and one label took a slice of time and made a piece of history.

Glaxo Babies - It's Irrational / Europeans -On the Continent / Private Dicks - Green is in the Red / Moskow -Too Much Commotion / Essential -Bop Chronicle / Directors -What you've Got / Various Artists -Own Up / Sneak Preview -Slugweird / The Stingrays -Sound / The X-Certs - Anthem / Apartment -The Alternative / The Numbers -Cross-Slide / Vice Squad -Nothing / Stereo Models -Move Fast-Stay Ahead / Double Vision -My Dead Mother

Ones that got away……
Apartment – Poison / Sneak Preview – Desire / Private Dicks- Don’t Follow My Lead / Double Vision - List 99 / Vitas Dance- Down in the Park / X-Certs - Fallout Shelter

Disc 2 – The Singles
Social Security - I don’t want my heart to rule my head / Social Security - Stella’s got a Fella / Europeans – Europeans / Europeans – Voices / Glaxo Babies -This is your Life / Glaxo Babies -Stay Awake / The Numbers -Alternative Suicide / X-Certs - Blue Movies / Joe Public - Hotel Rooms / 48 Hours -Back to Ireland / Glaxo Babies - Christine Keeler / Glaxo Babies -Nova Bosanova / Private Dicks-She Said Go / Private Dicks – Private Dicks / Apartment - The Car / Apartment – Winter / Glaxo Babies -Shake (The Foundations) / The Letters - Nobody Loves Me / The Letters - Don’t Want You Back / Art Objects -Showing off to impress the Girls / The Final Eclipse –Birdsong / The Final Eclipse - New Dawn / The Skodas -Everybody thinks everybody else is Dead Bad

'Ten years too early' Alan McGee

'El is a pint of blue milk' Tim Gane (Stereolab)

'I have been influenced deeply by Mike Alway's fantastic ideals towards pop music' Cornelius

El Records is in some circles one of the most intriguing and collectable record labels there has ever been.

It is true it never spawned anything near a hit record but it's innovation, originality and influence on others is recognised by many

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the labels launch in 1985 courtesy of the irrepressible Mike Alway, Cherry Red are pleased to bring you this compilation featuring some of the labels most memorable artists and tracks as well as extensive historical liner notes and exclusive photos.

Monochrome Set - Jet Set Junta / Shock Headed Peters - I Bloodbrother Be / Vic Godard - Nice On The Ice / The King Of Luxembourg - Valleri / The King Of Luxembourg - Trial Of Dr. Fancy / Would Be Goods - The Camera Loves Me / Marden Hill - Curtain / Marden Hill - Oh Constance / Momus - John The Baptist Jones / Momus - Nicky / Bad Dream Fancy Dress – Curry Crazy / Louis Philippe - Guess I’m Dumb / Louis Philippe - You Mary You / The Cavaliers - It's A Beautiful Game / Always - Thames Valley Leather Club / Anthony Adverse - The Ruling Class / The Florentines - Whisper Not / Gol Gappas - West 14 / Would Be Goods - Hanging Gardens Of Reigate / The Underneath - Zophia / Bid - Love / Anthony Adverse - Goodbye Again / Simon Fisher Turner - Umber Wastes (Caravaggio Extract)

Songs In The Key Of Z is a very unique compilation of "Outsider Music".

Each track, although maybe lacking in tunefulness and musicianship, has an abundance of earnestness and passion

Outsider Music has caused quite a stir recently, Channel Four have been airing a series of mini documentaries about outsider music and all of the artists featured on the TV show are on the two albums. Also, the Wesley Willis song “Rock ‘N’ Roll McDonalds” was recently used in the smash hit film, “Super Size Me”.

This fantastic release combines Volumes 1 & 2 onto a 2 CD collection for the first time and features (amongst may others) the uninhibited coyote howls of the legendary Stardust Cowboy, the star which is Daniel Johnston, a romantic duo between Tiny Tim and his wife Sue, Joe Meek's ultra rare wobbly "Telstar" vocal demo, The Shaggs aboriginal backwoods track and Captain Beefheart's "Vampire Suite"

The release of this CD also ties in with the 300 page "Songs In The Key Of Z" book also published by and available through Cherry Red.

Volume One:

The Shaggs – “Philosophy of the World” / Daniel Johnston – “Walking the Cow” / Lucia Pamela – “Peter Grudzien” / Peter Grudzien – “Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere” / Jack Mudurian – “Downloading the Repertoire” (excerpt) / Shooby Taylor, the Human Horn – “Stout-Hearted Men” / BJ Snowden – “In Canada” / Eilert Pilarm – “Jailhouse Rock” / Song–Poem – “Virgin Child of The Universe” / Wesley Willis – “Rock n’ Roll McDonalds” / Joe Meek – “Telstar” (rough demo) / Sri Darwin Gross – “At the Grass Roots” / Congress Woman Malinda Jackson Parker – “Cousin Mosquito #1” / Luie Luie – “El Touchy” / The Legendary Stardust Cowboy – “Standing In A Trash Can (Thinking About You)” / Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – “Vampire Suite” / Arcesia – “Butterfly Mind” / Jandek – “They Told Me I Was A Fool” / ‘Dusty Roads’ Rowe – “Baby, Your Love’s In Town” / Tiny Tim (with Miss Sue) – “True Love”

Volume Two

Shooby Taylor – “Lift Every Voice And Sing” / Bingo Gazingo And My Robot Friend – “You’re Out Of The Computer” / BJ Snowden – “America” / Alvin Dahn – “You’re Driving Me Mad” / Congress – “Woman Malinda Jackson Parker” – “Cousin Mosquito # 2” / The Space Lady – “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” / Luie Luie – “Touch of light” / Unknown – “Curly Toes” / Eddie Murray – “Stepping High Dance” / Dick Kent – “5 ft. 9 1/12 Inches Tall” / Gary Mullis – “Recitation About Roy Acuff” / Wayne – “Deep Bosom Woman” / Bob Vido – “High Speed” / Thoth – “The Herma, Scene 5; Recitation/AN” / Tangela Tricoli – “Jet Lady” / Buddy Max – “The Birthmark Story” / Mark Kenneth – “Heart Of The Heartland”

A welcome repromotion of this exciting compilation of On-U Sound artists demonstrating the uniqueness of the roster.

Alongside Prince Far I and London Underground are US performance artist Judy Nylon and vocalist Allan Pellay, who has since gone to have a hit records "Human Nature" with Gary Clail.

Jah Woosh "Woodpecker Sound" / Machine Gun Hogg & Co "Bed Bound Saga" / Prince Far I & Creation Rebel "Quante Jubila" / The Chicken Granny "Quit The Body" / Alan Pellay "Parasite Machine" / London Underground "Dreams Are Better" / Sons Of Arqa "Asian Rebel" / Alan Pellay "Demonic Forces" / The Mothman "Afghani Dub" / Jeb Loy & The Oil Wells "Things That Made U.S." / U.S. New Age Steppers "Yipee I Aah" / Judy Nylon "The Dice"

"Songs in the Key of Z" is a very unique twenty track compilation of ‘outsider’ music. Each track, although maybe lacking in tunefulness and musicianship, has an abundance of earnestness and passion. There is a growing interest in ‘outsider’ music and this is the definitive compilation so far. This release features the uninhibited coyote howls of the legendary Stardust Cowboy; a romantic duet between Tiny Tim and his wife Miss Sue; Joe Meek’s ultra-rare wobbly "Telstar" vocal demo; The Shaggs Aboriginal Backwoods track and Captain Beefheart’s "Vampire Suite." The release of this unique CD ties in with the 300 page "Songs In The Key Of Z" book due for release from Cherry Red books in October.

The Shaggs / Philosophy Of The World / Daniel Johnston / walking The Cow / Lucia Pamela / Walking On The Moon / Peter Grudzien / Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere / Jack Mudurian / Downloading The Repetoire (Excerpt) / Shooby Taylor The Human Horn / Stout /Hearted Men / B/J/Snowden / In Canada / Eilart Pilarm / Jailhouse Rock / Song Poem / Virgin Child Of The Universe / Wesley Willis / Rock’ N’ Roll McDonalds / Joe Meek / Telstar (Rough Demo) / Sri Darwin Goss / At The Grass Roots / Congress /Woman Malinda Jackson Parker / Cousin Mosquito #1 / Luie Luie / El Touchy / The Legendary Stardust Cowboy / Standing In A Trash Can (Thinking About You) / Captain Beefheart & The Magic Wand / Vampire Suite / Arcesia / Butterfly Mind / Jandek / They Told Me I Was A Fool / Dusty Roads Rowe / Baby Your Love’s In Town / Tiny Tim (with Miss Sue) / True Love

Modern Acoustic encapsulates the very essence of the sound that put Cherry Red at the forefront of independent pop in the early eighties. The light and melodic mood displayed here distinguished Cherry Red from all others in the post-punk period and would later be a central theme running through Mike Always widely respected El Records. The album combines an air of sunshine and optimism with songwriting of the highest class. The mood is exemplified by the contributions of Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn, Momus, Jessica Griffin of the Would Be Goods, Louis Philippe and Simon Turner in his guise as the King Of Luxembourg and in his composition of the soundtrack for the Derek Jarman film "Caravaggio". The finishing ingredient to "Modern Acoustic" is provided by the Harmony Grass and Tony Rivers And The Castaways selections from the RPM catalogue.

LOUIS PHILIPPE / Aperitivo / TRACEY THORN / Seascape / MOMUS / I Am A Kitten / BAD DREAM FANCY DRESS / Leigh On Sea / MARDEN HILL / What’s All The Fuss About / MARINE GIRLS / Lazy Ways / BEN WATT / On Box Hill / MILKY / Emperor Of Oranges / HARMONY GRASS / Byrd Avenue / KING OF LUXEMBOURG / Sketches Of Luxembourg / LOUIS PHILIPPE / With You And Without You / FANTASTIC SOMETHING / 1000 Guitars Of St Dominiques / WOULD BE GOODS / Young Man From Caracas / TONY RIVERS AND THE CASTAWAYS / Summer Dreaming / SOUTH AMERICAN GETAWAY / Expo Tenerife / MARINE GIRLS / Flying Over Russia / KING OF LUXEMBOURG / Hasto Pronto / LOUIS PHILIPPE / Little Pad / EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL / On My Mind / MARDEN HILL / Arrial / SIMON TURNER / Fantasia Childhood Memories/

"Pillows & Prayers" is arguably the most famous release on Cherry Red, the pioneering vinyl release, priced at 99p, topped the indie charts in 1983 for an unprecedented 19 weeks and sold over 120,000 copies. This two CD collection features the original album plus "Pillows & Prayers 2", which was only originally released in Japan in 1984. "Pillows & Prayers 2" includes tracks by Felt, Tracey Thorn, Ben Watt & Robert Wyatt and the Monochrome Set.

Volume 1
Portrait / Five Or Six / Eine Symphonie Des Grauens / The Monochrome Set / All About You / Thomas Leer / Plain Sailing / Tracey Thorn / Some Things Don’t Matter / Ben Watt / Love In Your Heart / Kevin Coyne / Modi 2 / Piero Milesi / Compulsion / Joe Crow / Lazy Wars / Marine Girls / My Face Is On Fire / Felt / No Noise / Eyeless In Gaza / Xoyo / The Passage / On My Mind / Everything But The Girl / A Bang And A Wimpy / Attila The Stockbroker / I Unseen / The Misunderstood / Don’t Blink / The Nightingales / Stop The Music For A Minute / Quentin Crisp/

Volume 2
Place In The Sun / Marine Girls / It’s A Fine Day / Jane / Feathering The Nest / Kevin Hewick / If She Doesn’t Smile / Fantastic Something / New Risen / Eyeless In Gaza / Jet Set Junta / The Monochrome Set / Une Homme Et Une Femme / Morgan Fisher / Penelope Tree / Felt / The Watery Song / Maurice Deebank / This Brilliant Evening / In Embrace / I’m Used Now / Grab Grab The Haddock / Water And John / Ben Watt And Robert Wyatt / Chenko / Red Box

Previously released separately, the Ambitions titles are now together in one double CD package. Amongst the many highlights are rare tracks by Matt Johnson (The The), Andy Partridge (XTC), Robert Wyatt and Everything But The Girl "Night And Day" and the ultra rare "English Rose" . The package comes complete with a booklet containing the story of Cherry Red written by label founder Iain McNay and notes on all artists involved.

Disc 1
The Tights : Bad Hearts / The Runaways : Right Now / Dead Kennedys : Holiday in Cambodia / Dead Kennedys : To Drunk to Fuck / Marc Bolan : You Scare Me to Death / Hybrid Kids : D’ya Think I’m Sexy / Medium Medium : Hungry so angry / Morgan-Fisher : Geneva / Maurice Deebank : Four Corners of the Earth / Jane : It’s a Fine Day / Eyeless In Gaza : Sunbursts in / Red Box : Chenko / Holger Hiller : Johnny Du Lump / Laibach : Die Leibe / HMS Bounty : Girl / In Embrace : The Brilliant evening / Felt : primitive Painters / Grab Grab The Haddock : Last Fond Goodbye / Mood Six : What Have You Ever Done / The Wiseacres : David

Disc 2
The Monochrome Set : Jet Set Junta / Everything But the Girl : Night and Day / Eyeless in Gaza : From A to B / Felt : Something Sends Me To Sleep / Tracey Thorn : Plain Sailing / Fantastic something : If She Doesn’t Smile / Thomas Leer : Letter From America / The Passage : XOYO / Benn Watt with Robert Wyatt : Walter and John / Kevin Coyne : Your Holiness / Marin Girls : On My Mind / The Monochrome Set : The Mating Game / Kevin Hewick : Spain / Marc Bolan : Talking Glamour / Morgan-Fisher : Foreign Correspondent / Felt : Penelope tree / The Passage : Taboos / Tracey Thorn : Simply Couldn’t Care / Eyeless in Gaza : You Frighten / The Nightingales : Paraffin Brain / Ben Watt : Departure / Quentin Crisp : How to Die With Style

Included on the album are 20 tracks that all represent chapters in the history of Midnight Music. The sleeve notes are written by the label founder Nick Ralph.

SAD LOVERS & GIANTS / The Things We Never Did / SNAKE CORPS / Science Kills / THE ESSENCE / Like Christ / A Mirage / POPGUNS / Someone You Love / Gesture / CORN DOLLIES / Nothing Of You / MCCARTHY / Keep An Open Mind Or Else / WOLFHOUNDS / Rent Act / SAD LOVERS & GIANTS / Sleep / WESTERN PROMISE / Promised Land / SHERIFF JACK / Everybody Twist / BLYTH POWER / Better To Bat / SUN AND THE MOON / Adam's Song / HACKNEY FIVE O / Catalogue / THE INVISIBLE / Love Street / SUDDEN AFTERNOON / Acid Rain / EVER / Virginise / CANDLESTICK PARK / All The Time In The World / FUEL / Honey Comes Softley

A 10 track collection of the newer signings to Cherry Red featuring rare and otherwise unreleased material from Blind Mr Jones, Tse Tse Fly, Prolapse and The Monochrome Set. There is also a sample of the dance label MFF with the only CD release of the single Humtone #4 by Morgan Fisher (who has released five albums on Cherry Red) and the remix by Kris Needs (Secret Knowledge, Delta Lady).

BLIND MR. JONES / Surfer Baby / Hey / TSE TSE FLY / Brad / On Purpose Prolapse P.D.F. / Screws / THE MONOCHROME SET / Jack / House Of God MORGAN FISHER & KRIS NEEDS / Humtone # 4 / Humtone #4 (Remix).

Recording is well under way for a compilation of the best in new Glasgow bands. The featured artists are Pink Kross, The Yummy Fur, The Blisters, Trout and Lugworm. Both Pink Kross and Yummy Fur have been attracting a great deal of media attention, including sessions for the John Peel show on Radio 1. Pink Kross's reputation is such that they were specially invited to open for Hole at their Glasgow gig on 1st May. The album will be available on limited edition vinyl and CD and release will be supported by selected live dates.

YUMMY FUR / The Grand Monophonic / Yum Yum / Fiery Jack / Typical Of Boys / All Women Are Robots / Vanilla Manelli / Cosmonauts And Carbonauts / Eyeball Popping Madness / TROUT / Skunk Rap / Scary Costumes / Human Boing / Owl In The Tree / THE BLISTERS / Divorce At High Noon / Post Feminist Business Woman / Patrick Meets The Courgettes / Christian Chorus / PINK KROSS / Mommy Is A Punker / Pussy Cat A Go Go / Chopper Chix / Punk Outfit / No Time For Bimbo / LUGWORM / Toby Mangel / Sweaty Says / Disco / Barmitzvah/